The respectful return in death, like the festive Christmas return of migrants, reinforces ties between generations.
Articles on Funeral industry
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There is growing interest in sustainable death care options like human composting as an alternative to energy-intensive cremation and chemical-dependent and land-intensive burial.
Next-of-kin often feel pressured to make hasty funeral arrangements. Most contact a funeral director and tee up a conventional service plus burial or cremation. But what are the other options?
An expert on grief says give people space and time to come to terms with loss and don’t expect them to need – or want – ‘closure.’
In the 1700s ‘burial clubs’ emerged in response to fears of funeral poverty. These schemes persist today — along with marketing targeting the poor and vulnerable.
A funeral director explains how the bodies of the deceased are prepared for burial or cremation in the United States.
From burial sites targeted by grave robbers to disposing of ashes at sea, the job of disposing of the unclaimed dead has a rich history. Sadly, it still goes on today and is on the rise.
Too may countries are drastically unprepared for the coming weeks and months.
It seems many Australians are over-insuring when it comes to funerals.
If no one claims the remains of cult leader and killer Charles Manson, it’s unclear what will happen to his body. Will it find an anonymous California grave or face dissection in an anatomy lab?
Many in the Western world lack the explicit mourning rituals that help people deal with loss. On Day of the Dead, two scholars describe ancient mourning practices.
Dying in America 200 years ago was a simply family affair, devoid of pomp. The US Civil War and Abraham Lincoln’s embrace of embalming changed everything.
Although ‘Game of Thrones’ -style funeral pyres are still out of bounds, Americans are increasingly turning to cheaper, greener and more meaningful ways to dispose of their loved ones’ bodies.
Millions of people are affected by death and dying – but politicians don’t want to talk about it.
Regulation of funeral products needs to be consistent to improve consumer understanding and choice.
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Honorary Professor of Accounting, University of Wollongong
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Professor of Accounting, University of Sydney
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Professor of Law, Wake Forest University
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Professor, English and Folklore Studies, University of Oregon
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Program Director and Assistant Professor of Mortuary Science, Wayne State University
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Associate Professor, Organizational Studies and Sustainable Commerce and Director, Institute for Sustainable Commerce, University of Guelph
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Postdoctoral Researcher in Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Helsinki
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